Catch up...

Well it's been a while, a lot has happened and as always not enough time to do the things I always intend to.
My Mum and me made a fab cake for my SiL who was 40 in Feb

Naked Chocolate Guinness cake (baby one)

Here's big brother!!

In all it's glory! So pleased with this and glad to say Mandi loved it too.x

Yummy recipe from Nigella.com

I started work last week and everything is going great so far, I'm just glad that it wasn't me

who snapped the key off in the office door yesterday!

would not have gone down well!!

I made this card for Baby Pearl's new grandparents, Tim and Keren. Congrats to them and Paul& Lydia.

Using the In colours from SU! with Early Espresso.

Ranger Liquid Pearls (appropriate I think!)

and PTI stamp.

I made this little set for my' fake' neice Molly, who was being baptised.

The card. Inspired by this post.

Close up.

and her gift. Tag inspired by this.

Just wanted to use my new Stella and Rose doily stamps!!

Lush!!

Photo heavy but I hope you like!

C xx

whoop whoop!

Pop over and see me on this brand new team!!
Our first sketch goes live on Sat 3rd, don't forget to take a look, and take part!! Would love to see your take on things. C x

Not long now...

The exciting news will be shared with you all on Saturday (sorry Sal!), check back then! In the mean time have been having fun with Mum and Beks, and the fabulous Kirsty, now nick named Pumpkin pie! We got together for more crafty shinanigans on monday and K bought over her new PTI stamps for us to use. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Turning a new leaf and Guide lines stamps and have made 29 cards since monday! I need to get out more. Anyway, ready for a picture heavy post?...

This background was created using the Guide lines set, I love its versatility.

The idea from these cards came straight from Nichole Heady on PTI, I love their simplicity.

A close up

Another one.

Sentiments are Signature greetings

Dark ink with matching card base.

This is Turning a new leaf, so pretty. I have stamped dozens

on various colours of card, just need to cut them all out now!

Yes guys, this was my dining table!!

It's all Kirsty's fault!!

Yes that is a doggy in the window! I am open to offers, LOL!!

Happy thursday C x

( see you Saturday! He He)

Appologies for the misty marks on some of the photos, I'm not sure how that happened?!!

As if by magic.

Here's an update on the ripple blanket!

Am so pleased with the colours.

Should be ready before I'm 40, which incidently

is not long now!! Aaaaaggghhh!

C x

Rippley goodness

I am still persevering with my crocheted blanket, it's looking really lovely and hope to have it ready by the winter!!

Its actually more than double this size now, with a lovely turquoise ripple running through it.

Will post that pic soon.

This is a cute scarf I crocheted using Debbie Bliss wool, it's so pretty.

This pattern is taken from The Stitch 'n' bitch book,

The Happy Hooker.

Happy Wednesday! C x

PTI spring challenge

Hi folks, I'm sat in my craft room, looking out on a frosty, but sunny back garden! How happy I am to see the sun. Will have to leave these 4 walls later and get some lungs full of fresh air. I have been making more cards, to stock up on the ones I've sold for our new church building, and whilst blog hopping I found a lovely challenge on Nichole's page for a spring card, and as it at least looks like spring outside, I decided to play along (should be walking the dog!).

This is the colour palette I chose.

And this is my contribution

I used PTI cream card, Bazzill kraft and SU! pink and choc,

the ribbon is SU! too. The upper crest punch is by Fiskars.

I am loving the Mod Squad set at the moment (as you can tell!)

it's so versatile. I've used it a lot for retro looking cards, but I

think it looks great in softer colours too.

My son has an interview this afternoon for post 16, really hoping he gets in! let you know how he goes C x

A stitch in time...

This is a bag I crocheted with yarn that my MiL bought in New York in 1993! She went off to see some friends who were living out there, while she was away,  I found out I was expecting my youngest ,(who is at this moment sitting his GCSE Art exam!). She was at the time, into wool tapestry and bought huge balls of the stuff, which she came across a few weeks ago in her cellar and gave to me. To itchy to wear, and not really my colour, I set about making a bag to keep my wool in. I am pleased with the result, even tho it's huge and my fingers have calouses! the blue wiggle on top is my first ever attempt at the ripple stitch, this is the start of a blanket, we'll see how that goes!! All this inspired by Lucy at Attic 24, a brilliantly colourful blog, so inspiring you have to check it out!  No laughing now...!

It does ripple...honest. C x

Totally MOD

I just noticed on 'A passion for Papertrey' that the challenge this time is Black and white. Not usually my palette of choice, but it's good to stretch yourself. So here is my contribution...

I used the brilliant Mod Squad set.

I clear embossed the flowers for a bit of POP.

I used PTI cardstock (black) and papermill (white)

& Paperchase ribbon.

This is my second post today, please scroll down for LOTS more C x

A picture heavy post...

Been having fun in the crafting department, I was lucky enough to be in reciept of a PTI order and a stampin' up order within days of each other. The trouble with recieving all of this crafting lovliness is that I didn't know where to start! I have used some bits and pieces, but have decided that I have to pick a stamp set and produce something, even if I'm not so inspired by it. I ordered some SU! papers that I liked, but when they came  was a bit overwhelmed by them. So I opened them yesterday and was pleasantly surprised .

This is all SU! with PTI sentiment, I love the clashy colours.

Using PTI buttons and sentiment, I love how you can layer the colours and patterns.

I stamped the PTI sentiment straight on to the white space.

These colours are really out of my comfort zone, it was quite liberating!

This was made using the hostess stamp set I got for free, Garden dream. I used the flower on the pink as a background pattern, then two-step stamped the flower as an embelli.

This is the same stamp set, used in a completely different way. I used the masking technique on the background so that the flowers didn't overlap. The frame is an American craft clear stamp. Loving the hummingbird x

This one is PTI stamps and SU! colours. Love this one and gave it to Gemma for her 16th on monday,

I wrote the sentiment inside on a pink post it, so that she can give it to someone else after!

I love Mod Squad!!

(Inspired by Dawn McVey)

More Mod Squad

...Almost there!!! More gorgeous PTI stamps and a cute SU! button (sooo expensive!)

Got matching ribbons too!

This one is inspired by Dawn McVey x

Have been taking some of my cards to church, to sell and raise money for our new

Arts centre and community building which got planning permission this week. Very exciting!

Hope you're all still awake!! Happy Wednesday C x

What on earth?

I decided for the first time this year to hang the washing out, have just come down stairs and it's snowing!! Does it only snow on wednesdays? Well can't go out right now as I have dye on my hair, it'll just have to stay, typical!
Been AWOL for a while, been thinking, Is it because I've been too busy? No, Is it because I haven't have any crafty time? No, Is it because I'm plain lazy? Yes! Thats my conclusion. I think thats the trouble with being at home all the time, sometimes I like the freedom to do what I want, when I want, but other times it saps the life out of you, and having all the time in the world doesn't mean you get much done. At the beginning of this post I said I'd put the washing out, well it was my Mum that did it, see told you I was lazy! So all being said I have applied for a job and have an interview on friday, maybe a trip back into the real world will bring back some motivation and give me a new lease of life, just hope I still have time for paper loving! ...

...Thats better, have covered up the grey hair now, maybe if I look better I'll feel better. I have been a busy bee, Me, Mum and Beks have caught the knitting bug thats been going round, and now have an array of hats, scarves, mittens and cowls in every colour, although we now have to consult one another so we're not wearing the same thing at the same time!! I have also been crafting, Kirsty and I recently recieved our 2nd PTI package from America containig some gorgeous goodies.

The Fab, Signature greetings, Background Diamonds and  Mod Squad.

Raspberry Fizz and Ocean Tides buttons, ribbon and ink, and True Black buttons.

My first creations, with Mod Squad

And Background diamonds, using Signature greetings

(this is a lift from Dawn McVey)

All other colours are by Stampin' up, which by the way are lush! I had a SU party a couple of weeks ago and had £60 of free stuff and 3 free stamp sets, amazing

I ordered 11 packs of cardstock, (the black and cream are PTI) 4 matching inks to go with my other collection, 7 matching ribbons and some lovely papers. If your thinking of having a party, go for it it's good fun and you get lovely stash too!

Anyway, over on Aimes and Kates blog they are having a challenge of the Valentine variety, I made this card a couple of weeks ago, along with some others that I sold, and thought I would enter it.

I used PTI stamps Damask designs and Polka dot basics and cream cardstock

A close up..

A closer up!

Have  a good wednesday Clare X

Background stamping

After watching this tutorial by Dawn McVey, I was inspired to give it a go. My lovely friend Kirsty was coming over for crafty shinanigans (as she calls it!) last weds, with my sister Beks and Mum on the knitting needles. I wasn't particularly inspired to make a card until I started stamping that is....

and this is how they ended up..

The poof ball flower also a D M tutorial

I used my fave, Damask designs stamps, Text style,

and the oh so versatile Polka dot basics set.

Kirsty let me have a couple of bits of Ocean Tides cardstock, gorgeous with Chocolate brown, don't you think? Cx